When My Time Comes Around
by TheBigDamnSavior
Summary: In a battle that has been foretold since the beginning of life on Krypton, Kara and Reign battle it out in the skies and streets of National City. With some help from her friends, Kara manages to defeat Reign once and for all, but a huge cost. (Cross-posted from AO3) Trigger warnings appear at the beginning of each chapter.
1. Lay Me Gently In The Cold Dark Earth

This fic came about as part of experimentation with writing fight scenes.

This chapter contains the death of a major character. It may or may not be temporary. I make no guarantees. It also contains depictions of heavy (but canon typical) violence and graphic descriptions of blood. Let me know what you think and enjoy the fic.

* * *

The showdown that raged through National City was inevitable. The tension had been building for far too long and it finally broke when Reign issued an ultimatum to the city and its occupants. She wanted Supergirl and would stop at nothing to get her. It was a regular Monday morning when Reign broke into the WKNC studios and demanded that they spread her message. "You may fear me as the Devil, but I am no such thing. There are no gods, no kings, no devils or heroes. I am from a time before your understanding, born to cleanse the scourge that pollutes the Earth. I am here to deliver your awakening, to open your eyes to how your apathy has become your greatest sin. You have allowed false gods, like Supergirl, to rise up and you worship them. Not anymore. She is no god. I am here to bring you truth and judgment and _death_. I was made to _reign_ and that is exactly what I will do. You have 24 hours to bring her to me or I will rip this city apart until I locate the false god."

The CatCo bullpen was uncharacteristically silent in the aftermath of Reign's announcement. Kara gaped at the assortment of screens arranged on the wall in James' office. The stoic photographer turned CEO turned to Kara with a grave expression on his face and nodded. The blonde gave him a faint smile before disappearing into the bustling flurry of activity that began to consume the floor. Kara squeezed her way into the elevator and silently leaned against the back wall as she rode down to the lobby. When the doors finally opened, Kara rushed out and began to run toward the DEO. She would have preferred to fly, but she didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention, not yet anyway. Kara stalked into the DEO's lobby, passed the stunned security guard, and got in the elevator. By some stroke of luck, this time the elevator was empty and Kara finally had a quiet moment to collect her racing thoughts as she let her head fall back against the elevator wall. She was startled out of her musings when the elevator dinged to signal its arrival at her destination. Kara went directly to the command center where she was greeted by concerned looks from both J'onn and Alex. "Did you see it?" Alex asked anxiously. Kara nodded and gestured for them to follow as she walked into the conference room just off the command center.

"Yes, I did."

"I know what you're thinking, Kara. You can't go up against Reign. Without Sam, she's even more powerful now and much more brutal."

"I know that Alex, but I can't just let her terrorize the city."

"You can't seriously be considering this?" Alex asked incredulously.

" _Alex_ ," Kara warned.

"J'onn, what do you think about this?" Alex questioned.

"Agent Danvers, this is between you and your sister. Do I want her risking her life to fight Reign? Of course not. But is there another way? No."

"Kara, listen to me, you can't do _this_. You'll die."

"I know," Kara whispered solemnly. With those words, any argument Alex may have had died on her lips.

" _You what?_ "

* * *

Kara soon found herself hovering in the sky above the center of National City. The streetlights twinkled in the distance below as Kara took a steadying breath. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. Prophecies aside, Kara knew she _had_ to defeat Reign or else the consequences would be disastrous. Somewhere in the back of her head, she wondered whether this would finally be the end she sought—or was the prophecy wrong? Although her life was filled with people and purpose, some part of her desperately wanted for a fight to go just a little wrong, for the wrong person to have kryptonite, for a solar flare to come at just the wrong time. As Maggie had once pointed out angrily, Kara always leapt before she looked, just like she was doing now—all for the chance to protect her family, all to see her parents again, all for the chance to go home again. Unwilling to dwell on past mistakes and future consequences, Kara took another steadying breath before calling out for her opponent. In an instant, a black figure appeared from the night and wrapped her hand around Kara's throat. "So full of hubris. Do you honestly think that you stand a chance against me?" Reign asked as she squeezed Kara's throat a little tighter. "Was nearly killing you once not enough for you? No matter. This time, I'll succeed."

"I guess not. You need to stop this crusade, Reign. You can't keep murdering the people of this city. I'm going to put an end to your campaign of terror," Kara said, struggling for breath with each word.

"You see this as a crusade, but I see it as my _duty_. The people of Earth are just like the Kryptonians. You all sat in your high towers, ignoring the earthquakes that shook your planet as your arrogance kept you from seeing that it was _your_ choices that caused your planet to suffocate and burn. Humans are no less arrogant. They sit back and watch as their planet is ravaged by crime and corruption. Sinners must be punished as must those who harbor them. Apathy has consumed this planet and it is time them for them to face justice for their sins."

"Are you quite done?" Kara asked as she tapped her fingers on her thigh impatiently.

"You arrogant, insolent little girl!" Reign roared as she lifted Kara up. "You embody that which needs to be cleansed," she continued as tightened her hand further, cutting off Kara's oxygen. Pale hands shot up to try to pry Reign's fingers off of her throat as she choked. "The righteous will rise and you all shall be brought to justice," Reign thundered as she flung Kara back.

"Never!" the blonde yelled as she shot forward and punched Reign in the face, sending the unsuspecting villain plummeting toward the earth. Reign allowed herself to drop for a moment before flipping and righting herself with a flourish. She flew up toward Supergirl and let out an animalistic growl before letting loose a savage blast of heat vision aimed right at the sigil on Kara's chest. The merciless force of the blast threw the astonished hero back as the blonde wondered whether pissing Reign off was a mistake. The rage behind the blast told her that it probably was, Kara concluded. She didn't much time to ponder the error of her ways as her concentration shifted to blocking blow after vicious blow. As they fought in the skies above National City, the two Kryptonians found themselves battling above the CatCo building once more. Kara roundhouse kicked Reign in the side and face in quick succession before delivering a savage blow to her gut. Taking advantage of Reign's shock, Kara tackled the villain, sending both their bodies plunging toward the street. The two grappled as they plummeted to the street, landing in a massive crater with Kara at the bottom of the heap. Reign pushed herself off the dazed hero and brutally stomped on her stomach, knocking the wind out of the blonde. Reign laughed as she viciously stomped on Kara's stomach again, drawing a pained groan from the hero as she tried—and failed—to catch her breath.

"Not so brave and mighty anymore, are you? Is the heel of my boot all it takes to defeat you, Kara Zor-El?" Reign said mocked. With a roar, Kara leapt up, grabbed a chunk of asphalt, and threw it at Reign who quickly brought her arms in front of her face, turning the asphalt into a cloud of dust. As the dust blew away in the wind, Kara lunged forward and punched Reign. With an arrogant chuckle, the Worldkiller wiped away the small trickle of blood in the corner of her mouth with her thumb. She drew her arm back to punch Kara, only for the blonde to catch her fist and wrench Reign's arm to the side. Knowing that she needed to draw the fight away from the city, Kara leapt up to try to lure Reign to the desert, but within seconds, Kara felt a sudden tug on her cape as Reign grabbed it and sharply whipped it, sending Kara falling like a ragdoll. The blonde crashed into the street once more before rolling over with a grunt and jumping up to her feet. Taking advantage of Reign's grip on her cape, Kara spun her body around and drove her elbow into Reign's nose, followed by a brisk uppercut aimed right at the villain's chin. As Reign was thrown upward by force of the punch, the Super took the opportunity and tackled Reign, flying both of them straight to the desert just outside the city.

* * *

 _Kara sighed and fidgeted with her glasses as Alex stared at her expectantly. "In the early days of Krypton, thousands of years before we began shifting toward a unified society, there were cults who practiced black magic who foretold many distant events. The Council destroyed most of the Juru's teachings when Krypton began worshiping Rao exclusively, but a few of them made it into the Book of Rao, which is how we even know about them. After Coville, I went down to the Fortress to do some reading to try to understand him better and when I was reading Kal's copy of the Book, I found the Worldkiller prophecies."_

" _What does this have to do with you fighting Reign?" Alex asked impatiently._

" _I'm getting there, Alex," Kara replied as she glared at her sister. "The Worldkillers were prophesized before the Book was even written. Their existence was foretold millennia ago. There were actually a lot of prophecies about Worldkiller-like creatures—or so we thought. Turns out they were more literal than we even knew. Anyway, two of the prophecies made it into the Book: one about their creation—and one about their defeat. I remember hearing about the first one in passing, but no one ever knew what the second meant and I thought that with Krypton gone, I wouldn't have to worry about them, but—"_

" _Reign, Pestilence, and Purity happened?" J'onn suggested._

" _Exactly, I thought that all the magic and the myths were eradicated when the planet exploded since the Book never said anything about Krypton being erased from existence. By the way, for a dead planet, Krypton has a lot of survivors, which would make me a lot happier if they weren't all villains," Kara said unhappily. Alex and J'onn snorted and nodded in agreement. "But it turns out that dark magic isn't limited by something like the destruction of a planet or galaxies as we've seen."_

" _What does the Book say?"_

" _I spent so many hours reading it that I've memorized it by now. It says 'And a door would open to the sky and through it would pass abominations created of cold intelligence and survivors saved by warm emotions. The abominations would walk the world hidden until such time that their true nature can be concealed no more. Of the killers of worlds, one would rise above like a god and would be defeated by another who too has risen from the ashes, another saved twice by emotion and forced to hide as well. The one who bests the Worldkiller will lay down their life to stop her rule and will be rewarded in the light of Rao.' It's all there. It talks about Reign gaining the others' powers and becoming stronger… and it talks about me."_

" _Kara, why does it have to be you? What about Clark? It sounds like it could be him, too."_

" _NO!" Kara yells forcefully. "No. it has to be me, Alex. It has to be one saved by emotion and forced to hide. That isn't Clark. He wasn't forced to hide like I was. He wasn't saved by emotion twice like I was and he hasn't fought the Worldkillers before, Alex. It's me. I was sent to protect him and if me dying to save him and the city is what I have to do, then so be it. I was sent to Earth to protect it and that's exactly what I'm going to do, whether you agree with me or not."_

" _Kara, I—We—."_

" _Alex, I know. You did it to keep me and safe. For that, I'll be eternally grateful, but now it's my turn to save you. To save you all. You did what you had to do, but now—."_

" _It's your turn—yeah, yeah I got that part, Kara. God, you're_ such _a Danvers."_

" _Yeah," Kara said as she laughed mirthlessly. "Guys, listen I need you to do me a favor. I know that Lena's gonna want to be here because she still sees Reign as part of Sam and you're going to want to refuse because she hates me, but just let her, okay? Just don't tell her or anyone else about this—any of this. This needs to be my fight. I don't want anyone else to die for me."_

" _Kara, you know we can't do that," Alex pressed._

" _You have to, Alex. I'm going to die one way or another. Don't risk any more lives for the sake of mine. I've ruined enough lives and it's my time. I don't deserve people dying to come to my rescue."_

" _Yes, you do. Kara, you're the best of us." Kara smiled at Alex as tears glistened in both their eyes._

" _I don't, but we don't have time, Alex." Kara chuckled humorlessly, "It seems like I never have enough time in my life, doesn't it?"_

* * *

As they crashed into the sand, Reign was barely affected as she staggered to her feet and wiped the blood from her nose with her sleeve as Kara lay on the ground dazed. The villain laughed as she watched Kara get on her hands and knees warily. "Did you really think you could win?" Reign drew her leg back and kicked Kara in the stomach, sending her flying like a blue-clad football. "You are _weak_! You stand _no_ chance against me," Reign bellowed as she stalked up to Kara's prone form and put her boot on Kara's throat. "Surrender! After all, there is bliss in it," the villain continued as she leaned in slightly and pressed harder on Kara's throat, causing the blonde to gag and sputter.

"Never!" Kara yelled as she grabbed Reign's boot and threw her to the ground. "I will never back down. Beat me all you want," she said as she tried to stand and wiped the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. Still on her knees, Kara bellowed, "But I will _never_ let you win!" Reign laughed as she sauntered up to the blonde, grabbed her by the hair and pulled so Kara was forced to look her in the eyes.

Reign leaned in so that her lips were almost touching Kara's ear and whispered "Fine. So be it." Reign straightened and grabbed Kara face roughly. "I _was_ going to make your death quick—a small mercy for a so-called god from the devil herself—but I'm going to make an example out of you instead. No matter, I shall so enjoy cleansing you of your sins either way, but maybe, I'll make you suffer for your sins first. _Maybe_ I'll start by ripping your self-important friend's spine instead."

"No," Kara screamed as she wrenched herself out of Reign's grip and threw herself on the villain, wrestling her to the ground. In a fit of fury, the blonde unleashed a fury of punches and for the first time, Reign looked almost frightened. As the blonde wrapped her bloody hand around Reign's throat, she growled, "You don't get to threaten _my_ friends—and YOU DON'T SCARE ME!"

"How 'brave' of you," Reign mocked as she lay under Kara. Reign took a swing at Kara, who grabbed Reign's fist and braced to blast Reign with her heat vision. "You think your arrogance will save you, Kara Zor-El. _It won't._ " Reign countered Kara's heat vision before it even hit her. "I don't care if you're afraid of me. There is no walking away from me, just as there is no stopping me." Reign kicked Kara off of her and stood as Kara slid back on her knees. "We may both be fated to die tonight, but you will _never_ be able to stop my justice. Even in death," Reign roared.

"Maybe. Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that I won't try." Kara flew forward, fist aimed at the seething brunette and punched her. She kicked Reign in the chest, sending her to her knees and tried to punch Reign again. She blocked Kara's fist, wrenched the blonde's arm to the side, and jumped into a flip with a kick aimed right at Kara's chin. Kara threw another punch, this time with her left arm, which Reign again blocked with another twist before kicking Kara in the center of her chest. Kara slid across the ground, the dirt digging up behind her heels. The bloodied Super stood, slightly favoring her left side, and swiped at the blood dripping down from her hairline, down her face, into her eyes. Reign's laugh echoed through the desert until Kara swiftly rushed forward and dropped in front of Reign, sweeping her feet out from underneath her. Reign quickly glided upward and floated with a smirk. Kara threw a half-hearted punch at Reign, which was caught mid-motion as usual, before following with a full-strength right hook. Reign was thrown several feet back before standing and wiping the blood dripping from her nose with a sneer. She looked Kara right in the eyes and winked as she bent her knees and took off toward National City. With no other choice but to follow suit, Kara bent her knees and launched herself into the air after Reign. Just as they had hours ago, the two Kryptonians once again traded blows in the skies above the city.

* * *

" _Kara, how do you plan on surviving this encounter?" J'onn asked._

" _Yeah, Kara. The last time you fought Reign, you barely survived."_

" _I got Winn to make me a special suit outfitted with radiation emitting diodes that'll be like mini-sunbeds. They should supercharge my powers long enough for me to be able to hold her off."_

" _I'm going to kill him," Alex growled menacingly._

" _Agent Danvers," J'onn warned._

" _But how do you plan on killing her?"_

" _Do you remember those kryptonite daggers that the DEO had Lena make? I'm going to use one of those."_

" _But—."_

" _Lead sheath."_

" _But—."_

" _Alex, please. Can we just stop arguing? We're running out of time and I don't want this to be how we end things. Can we just be us for a little while? I want to be able to say goodbye to at least one of the people who mean a lot to me." Kara turned to J'onn and continued, "Can you join us too? I'd tell the others, but I don't want them to know and worry… and I doubt Lena would care right now. I didn't get to say goodbye to my family last time—and I just want to be able to do it this time. Please." Alex and J'onn both solemnly nodded as they granted Kara's last request._

* * *

Kara kicked Reign in the chest, which only seemed to anger Reign more as the villain returned the blow in kind along with a punch and a smirk. The blonde blocked the punch and twisted Reign's arm to the side. Undeterred, Reign lifted her body and kicked out her legs, causing Kara to go flying. As Kara fell, Reign chased after her in an attempt to land a few more blows on the increasingly exhausted Super. Kara stopped Reign in her tracks with a frantic blast of heat vision aimed right at her face. As Kara flew upward to try to get some distance, she was suddenly met with a solid body and an even more solid fist to the face. As she and Reign grappled, Kara could feel herself inching toward a solar flare. Knowing that she had to end this soon, Kara shot away from Reign before turning around and using her speed to quickly grab the villain by the front of her suit. "Had enough already?" Reign chortled as Kara flew them toward the desert.

"Yes!" Kata replied as the ripped the blade out of the hidden sheath in her boot and plunged it into Reign's chest. Reign smiled at Kara with blood stained teeth and reached up to wrap her hand around the handle jutting out of her chest.

"You may be able to defeat me, Kara Zor-El, but at what cost?" the villain said before yanking the blade out of her chest and stabbing it into Kara's stomach. The blonde gasped and loosened her grip on the villain causing Reign to fall, her cackling echoed through the empty desert all the way down to the ground. Kara floated in the air for a moment as processed what had just happened and then too fell to the ground.

* * *

 _As Kara suited up in the locker room, Lena arrived at the DEO per Alex's request. Given the late hour, the command center was mostly empty but for a few unlucky agents manning the night shift, but despite the emptiness, the air was thick and fraught with tension as agents and consultants, close friends and family, gathered in preparation for the impending battle. With a deep breath, Kara stepped out of the locker room and walked toward the center console. She avoided making eye contact with any of the warriors gathered around the round console as she explained that she would be going against Reign alone, without any backup and with one-way comms being the DEO's only way of knowing what is happening as the battle raged. Alex and J'onn noticed that Kara conspicuously left out any details about how the fight was going to go down and her thinly veiled farewells as she thanked everyone around her for their support and hard work. With those words, Kara nodded, turned on her heel, and flew out of the DEO, leaving Alex and J'onn to deal with the barrage of questions that the others were about to throw at them._

* * *

She landed in a bleeding heap in the sand, the dislodged dagger laying just feet away, sapping what little strength she had left. Kara blinked the blood out of her eyes as she inhaled the earthy, metallic scent of drying blood. With a shaking hand, Kara pressed her fingers to the gash in her stomach and lifted her head to watch her fingers come away several shades redder than they had been. She weakly dropped her head back to the ground and squeezed her eyes shut as tears slowly started making their way toward her temples. Kara coughed harshly as blood dribbled out of her mouth, down her cheek, down her neck, down onto the sand as she realized that she had finally solar flared. _It won't be long now_ , she thought to herself as she pressed a shaking, weak hand to the wound in her stomach and more tears slid down toward her temples. With every shallow breath, Kara felt the broken, shattered bones in her chest grind against each other. She could feel the life draining out of her as the blood leaked out of her fallen form. Each breath hurt just a little more than the last and took just a little more effort. Every inhale was a struggle and every exhale a war as she found herself facing her greatest challenge yet—breathing. The blonde nodded to herself almost as though confirming that her fate had been sealed: she was going to die here, in this barren desert, completely alone—and it scared her. As she lay there in the sand, Kara found herself staring at the stars. They were so _beautiful_ and if squinted, she swore she could still see Krypton twinkling in the distance. She wished she had taken more time to admire how beautiful Earth's night sky was—there were so many things she wished she had done.

Kara sniffled and let the tears flow freely from her eyes before shutting them tightly and trying to conjure images of her friends and family to stave off the loneliness that surrounded her in her last moments. Despite her best efforts, one person dominated her memories, but before Kara could contemplate what that meant, she heard footsteps hastily approaching. Tensing, Kara opened her eyes to find herself looking right into the very green eyes that had been consuming her thoughts. "Lena," Kara breathed out. "You're here," the blonde said as smiled weakly with bloodstained teeth. "I thought you were still mad at me."

"I am, but I didn't want you to be alone, Kara," Lena said as she dropped to her knees. "You're hurt pretty badly. Oh, Kara, you're dying," Lena said as her voice quivered.

"I know, but it's _okay_ , Lena. Don't cry," Kara said as she lifted a bloodied hand to touch Lena's cheek. "I'm going to get to see my parents—I'll finally be able to join them in Rao's light. It's been such a long time, Lena," Kara whispered as she stroked Lena's cheek with her thumb.

"How I am supposed to not cry? My best friend is _dying_ ," Lena said as tears cascaded down her face.

"I am, but my death has been foretold for millennia. It was meant to be, Lena, and I don't want you to spend your entire life mourning me, okay?" Kara swallowed thickly before continuing. "I was sent to Earth to protect Clark and do all sorts of amazing things—I was also destined to die to stop the final Worldkiller, but it really is okay. Do you know why, Lena?" The brunette tearfully shook her head. "I got to do _all_ the extraordinary things my parents told me I would be able to do—I found a family, I saved the world a lot, I met you and became your friend, and I even fell in love— _with you_." Tears welled up in Kara's eyes as she turned her head to look at Lena.

"You _love_ me?" Kara nodded. "I don't know what to say, Kara."

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. But _I_ do. There's so much I need to say, Lena. I'm sorry for lying to you for hurting you. In fact, I probably should have said this first, but I'm saying it now. I was _wrong_. We really did need that Kryptonite, but I rallied against you, my best friend. And what did you do? You saved us all. So, I'm sorry, so sorry and thank you for _everything_." Kara swallowed thickly. "Lena—Lena, I'm scared. Could you—could you hold my hand?"

"It's okay to be afraid, Kara," Lena soothed as she wrapped her hands around Kara's and held the shaking pale hand to her chest.

"No. No, it's not. I promised my parents that I wouldn't be afraid when I left Krypton. I miss them _so_ much and it's been so _long_ , but I'm really scared, Lena. I don't want to go. Please don't make me," Kara said as she began to cry.

"I won't."

"Don't tell them I was afraid. Please… I just—I don't want to leave. Please don't make—I want to stay with you," Kara mumbled deliriously.

"I'll be with you the whole time, Kara. You _won't_ be alone," Lena shushed.

"Do you think you could kiss me? I don't want to die with kissing you at least once, Lena," Kara mumbled. Wordlessly, Lena leaned over and pressed her tear-stained lips to Kara's. It was salty and iron-tinged, but it was by far the best kiss Kara ever had. When Lena sat up, Kara's mouth was moving wordlessly as her eyes darted from side to side and tears streamed out the corners of her eyes down to her temples. Suddenly, the world blurred and Lena disappeared as the world faded to black. The sounds around her faded to nothing and everything was so _still_ and silent and so suffocatingly small.

 _And then there was nothing at all._

* * *

A nondescript black SUV sped up to the sandy crater where Supergirl lay and screeched to a stop. Two panicked brunettes jumped out and rushed to the blonde's side, just in time to hear the death rattle shake its way out of her body and then—Kara Danvers was no more, having died with the ghost of Lena's name on her lips. In a cruel twist of fate, Kara Danvers died alone, so unlike she was in life. Except it was. The last true Kryptonian, alone in the duty of preserving a lost world and remembering a family long since gone, died alone, bleeding in the sand, her last comfort provided by the hallucinations of a dying mind.

* * *

Now that we've established that I am a cruel, cruel person, I hope you stay tuned for the continuation of this story as we explore how the Superfriends grieve.  
Also, in case it wasn't clear, the "Lena" Kara saw as she was dying was a hallucination. 

Please leave me your thoughts and come say hi on Tumblr: misthiosonthewall


	2. No Grave Can Hold My Body Down

And so, we know the costs of the battle against Reign. It's time for the aftermath now. **Trigger warning: Heavy drinking and mentions of depression.**

Just so you know, I used a slightly altered version of canon for this story:

The only canon I kept from the second half of season 3 was the fact that Lena helped Sam, they used Black K to separate Sam/Reign, and the Legion did go back to the future (except much earlier and without Winn). So that means Lena and James didn't date (for obvious reasons), James never revealed himself as Guardian nor did he spy on Lena at Kara's request and Argo doesn't exist (so both Alura and Zor-El are dead).

And now, enjoy the chapter (and grab a tissue or 10). Let me know what you think and come say hi on Tumblr (misthiosonthewall)!

* * *

Alex and Lena stood in the desert as the breeze picked up the sand around the feet and watched as the DEO techs reverently slipped Kara—no, Kara's body—into a black body bag. As the deafening silence boomed in their ears, the two women stared at the scene around them, focusing on the few bits of evidences left from the epic battle that had raged in the desert only an hour ago, the battle that had taken Kara's life—a scarlet pool of drying blood and a crimson handprint where the dying blonde had dug her fingers into the sand. The journey back to the DEO was a blur. Alex and Lena accompanied the body as it was laid out on the morgue slab for them to identify and confirm that it really was their blonde personification of sunshine lying there in a gruesome, but ultimately necessary formality. They stood and slowly took in the visual of unseeing blue eyes, once sparkling and full of life, gazing in the ceiling, the purple bruising around her throat, the angry red patches of torn skin, and the gaping hole in Kara's chest, just to the left of the singed crest of the once Great House of El.

Alex and Lena made eye contact from their position on either side of the slab as a sheet was pulled over Kara's body, her sightless eyes pulled gently shut by a sympathetic morgue tech. Alex's eyes were dulled by her grief as Lena's shone with unshed tears for the woman who had once brought so much joy to her life. Alex gently pressed a kiss to Kara's sheet-covered forehead and disappeared. Confident that she was alone, Lena began to weep as she pressed her head to Kara's chest, mourning the loss of the one person who had always promised never to leave her and then did, having sacrificed her life so that a near stranger could live—so that Lena would still have a friend in this world. Hours after Lena had cried out all the tears her eyes could produce, Alex silently crept into the morgue and too wept for the blonde that had left them all far too soon.

* * *

National City mourned the loss of its hero, who in four short years had managed to become its symbol and greatest defender. The statue by the waterfront became a makeshift memorial as flowers piled up around its base. Even the criminals seemed to be in mourning as the crime rate plummeted in the days following Supergirl's unexpected fall. The Fire Department and NCPD hung memorial bunting on every one of their stations as they joined the citizens of National City in mourning.

CatCo put out a photo of Kara's human persona in the lobby as a memorial to the rising journalist who had been caught in the crossfire. The company's former CEO, Press Secretary Cat Grant, put out a statement honoring her mentee as well as paying tribute to the hero whose career she helped jumpstart. In an uncharacteristic show of emotion, Cat teared up when she announced Kara's fall, not wanting the journalist she helped nurture to be forgotten as the world grieved for her superpowered alter ego.

L-Corp set out an 'in memoriam' photo of Supergirl in its lobby, next to a photo of Kara Danvers. The photos were placed far enough apart that people couldn't compare the two and make the connection between the fallen hero and journalist. Its CEO, who was conspicuously missing, expressed her condolences to the city and Kara Danvers' family. No one had seen her in three days. Sam, who was filling in for Lena, also expressed her sadness over the loss. Her secret connection to the battles that had ravaged National City in the past months remained known only to select few.

Once again the face of CatCo, James publicly expressed his sadness over a great career cut short, over the loss of a rising star whose potential would never be reached. Guardian had begun patrolling the streets of National City in the days after Supergirl's passing. His style was rougher and more violent, grief-stricken.

Winn hadn't slept in three days, his puffy eyes focused on his screen, wondering what he could have done differently. The DEO was silent and lifeless without its energetic blonde hero. Unable to bear the stillness, his sole focus was now keeping James and the other DEO agents safe, so no other mothers, sisters, and friends had to experience a grief like theirs.

Lucy arrived in the city the day after Kara's death and although she was unsure of her place amongst her colleagues and friends, she returned to the DEO anyway. In the time she had been apart from them, she was worried that they would all grow apart. They hadn't. The DEO agents were grateful to have her around and her friends were thankful for the support. Lucy's calm, stoic presence was a godsend in the chaotically silent DEO.

J'onn grieved for his Earth daughter in the much same way he had mourned his family on Mars. The normally stoic DEO leader wore a haunted expression on his face and a mournful shadow in his eyes. He grieved for the memory of Krypton, too, as Kara's death had meant the end of all those who remembered the Kryptonian way of life—and now one could say that Krypton was truly gone. He was secretly happy that Lucy had returned to National City's DEO branch as it allowed him to deal with his grief without it potentially endangering the lives of others.

Without Kara, Alex was lost. Desperate to erase the images of her sister taking her last breath as she lay alone in the desert, Alex drank and drank. A shell of her usually intimidating self, this frighteningly small version of Alex had stopped functioning altogether. Maggie desperately plied her with water as Alex just drank and drank and drank. In the few moments that she wasn't consuming everything remotely alcoholic in sight, Alex just sat there are the images of Kara dying in that desert, the images of Kara on that slab, the images of Kara in a body bag all played in her head like a merciless newsreel. Alex prayed to a god that she didn't believe in to make the images stop. No one ever answered her prayers.

Although it was no secret that Maggie and Kara butted heads (a lot), the detective mourned for the little sister she never wanted, but couldn't imagine her life without. Unwilling to add to Alex's anguish, Maggie grieved for the sunny blonde in private, sobbing when Alex finally passed out from exhaustion or whenever she managed a moment alone. And as though losing Kara wasn't enough, Maggie lamented the state her wife was in as she did all she could to keep Alex's emptiness from consuming her.

It is said that the loss of a child is so horrible that there is no word for a parent who loses one. Eliza always said that she couldn't imagine the pain of losing a child. Now she didn't have to—now she knew that pain. Eliza mourned Kara in solitude as she stayed in the blonde's apartment. It was just so _Kara_ that Eliza could almost feel the blonde's radiant presence. As she mourned the loss of one child, the older woman found herself forced to watch as her other daughter threatened to slip away and her own feelings of loss threatened to eat her alive. Eliza's own demons also made their everlasting presence known as they threatened to eat her alive too. _She was tempted to let them._

L-Corp's young CEO hadn't been seen in days. Her guilt all-consuming, Lena couldn't bear to be in her office where memories of Kara seemed to permeate every inch. Lena desperately wanted to hate Kara for lying to her and not trusting her, but she couldn't. She had heard every word Kara had said as she lay dying. Even in her last moments, the blonde wanted nothing more than to have Lena by her side—and Lena had no idea what to with that fact. Even though she was angry at Kara, Lena understood why she had reacted the way she did, but part of her was still furious about what had happened between them. And yet, in spite of everything, Kara had sacrificed her life so that Lena's only other friend could live her life in peace, free of the threat of Reign. Unsure of how to deal with the conflicting thoughts swirling around in her head, Lena drank and drank until they stopped. She drank until she stopped seeing empty blue eyes staring up at the dark sky. Drank until she stopped seeing the hole in Kara's chest. Drank until she didn't have the image of blood slowly seeping out of Kara's body still in her head. Drank until she forgot the very moment when Kara Danvers died.

Superman was grief-stricken at the loss of his cousin. Since her death, he had become noticeably harsher in his dealings with criminals. He even killed a kingpin who taunted about his loss. Superman doesn't kill—he never kills. Except he just _did._

* * *

On the fourth day after Supergirl's death, a memorial service, led by President Marsdin and Superman, was held in front of the statue Lena had erected for her. Unsurprisingly, it was attended by many high-profile figures. The President spoke fondly of how the hero had saved her more than once and had become something of a friend while Clark spoke of how his cousin had brought him stories of his parents and connections to a culture he never had the chance to know. Stories were told of the kind hero who had made the ultimate sacrifice to keep National City safe. Guests regaled the crowd with stories of the hero who would save snakes from trees and bring ice cream to crying children all while being fierce enough to face the galaxy's most dangerous criminals—and win. Lena Luthor had even made a surprise appearance to honor her friend's memory and give a speech about a life cut short. That evening, the isle of flickering candles and mountains of flowers doubled in size. The crime lull in National City held steady.

The next day, a small funeral was held for Kara Danvers in her hometown of Midvale. Despite her relative lack of fame, Kara's funeral was rather well attended as the crowd was filled with fans of her work, her coworkers, and the likes of Cat Grant, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane. For a relative unknown in the journalistic world, Kara had managed to make friends in very high places as many powerful figures were in the crowd, unbeknownst to many of the other attendees. In attendance were the CFO of L-Corp, famed antiquities dealer Diana Prince, Alien Intelligence Liaison to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lucy Lane, the second-in-command of the NCPD's Science Division, Maggie Sawyer, and, of course, Lena Luthor. Kara's coffin was topped with a massive bouquet of plumerias and a hidden House of El glyph as her friends and family took moments to honor her memory with eulogies filled with stories of an awkward teen who grew up to be one of the kindest beings on the planet, but in the end was a stark reminder of the fragility of life as she became the victim of very villains she vowed to stop.

The day after the funeral, CatCo announced that it would publish a special, commemorative issue of CatCo magazine featuring reprints of Kara's most famous stories and some of her lesser known, but equally brilliant articles. It also included a previously unpublished piece that she had been working on and a touching letter from Snapper Carr, who in an uncharacteristic display paid tribute to his protegee. The issues sold out almost instantly when they hit the stands the next week. CatCo was forced to order another run of the issue. Lena had a copy framed in her office—as did Alex and Eliza.

* * *

 _Two Weeks After Kara's Death…_

After two weeks of constant drinking, Alex woke up to an apartment that was thoroughly cleansed of anything even remotely alcoholic and Maggie and Eliza sitting across from her. The brunette gingerly sat up, her head still pounding as the hangover set in, and gaped at the two serious-looking women. "What's going on?" Alex mumbled.

"We're trying to keep you from drinking yourself to death, sweetie," Eliza started.

"Yeah, Danvers. I know you're hurting, but I can't let you do this. I can't let you kill yourself, Alex. Kara would want you to live, not pickle your liver with scotch."

"You can't actually do that, you know," Alex grumbled.

" _So_ not the point here, Alex," Maggie chastised. "You need to get out of the house. You need to find some way to survive this, Alex, because I don't think I'll be able to handle losing you too."

"Yes, sweetie," Eliza agreed as she moved onto the couch to sit next to Alex. "I know how much you love—loved—your sister, but she wouldn't want you to drown in your sorrows like this." Alex nodded and tears glistened in her eyes as she turned and buried her head in Eliza's shoulder. As she began to sob, Maggie got up and wrapped her arms around both Danvers women.

After a few minutes, Alex pulled away and spoke, "I know Kara wouldn't want this. She wrote me a letter. I found it in her locker at the DEO. There was one for me—and one for Lena." Alex paused and swallowed. "I—uh—read the one for me and I just couldn't, you know? Here she was knowing she was going to die and she wrote us letters—to what? Remember her by? God, this is so fucked up," Alex said. "She was supposed to outlive us all and now she's in a box in the ground—and I couldn't _protect_ her. I let her go. I let her sacrifice her life and I didn't even tell her that I loved her. I _never_ got to say _goodbye_ ," Alex continued, her voice getting louder with every word.

"I had to listen as she died in that desert. I had to listen as she begged us not to make her go. Well, actually she begged Lena. Can you imagine how fucking miserable and alone you have to be to literally _hallucinate_ someone so you don't die _alone_? She lay there in the sand with a hole in her damn chest and she was all alone because no one could get there in time and it's all my fault. I should have stopped her. I should have done _something_."

"It's not your fault, Alex. Kara was fighting an extremely powerful, _magically enhanced_ Kryptonian, who was engineered to be stronger and better and she knew what she was doing. Not every decision Kara ever made was on your shoulders, Alex. I know I made you feel that way and I was _wrong_."

"Listen to your mother, Danvers. She's right," Maggie said as she rubbed Alex's back. Alex smiled slightly as she sniffled and dropped her head into her hands. Maggie shifted awkwardly and looked at Alex who was still leaning into her. Unsure of how to bring up the topic, Maggie decided to simply rip off the proverbial bandaid. "Hey, Alex, I know there is no right time to ask this, but are you ever going to give Lena that letter?"

"I will. I should probably do it sooner rather than later. She deserves to know what Kara left for her. I know she was really angry with Kara before—well, before, but I think it's time someone saved Lena Luthor from herself," Alex declared in a determined voice.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to go right now, Alex?"

"I don't know, but there's only one way to find out, Mom. If I keep sitting here, I will drive myself insane with grief and I think that Kara would kill me if I let Lena do to herself what I did to myself. So, I'm gonna take a shower, drink some water, and somehow track down our favorite billionaire."

"You don't have to do much tracking," Maggie declared. Alex stared at the detective quizzically and motioned for her to continue. "I've been talking to Sam." Alex and Eliza's head snapped toward Maggie in confusion. "What? We're friends now and someone had to keep tabs on what's going on. Anyway, Lena hasn't left her apartment in two weeks. Jess came to see her a few times, but all she got was 5 minutes with a very drunk and very heartbroken Lena before she was 'politely' asked to leave—aka basically thrown out. Lena is never that short with Jess, so I had Sam keep an eye on her. She's not okay. In fact, I think she may have taken Kara's—you know—worse than you."

"Unfortunately, one of the things Lena excelled at is blaming herself for things that were out of her control and feeling guilty in general. Luckily, I can relate. She also likes to drink scotch, so I think this will go well," Alex said as she got up and left the living room. Once Alex was out of sight, Eliza and Maggie looked at each other as if to say 'that went surprisingly well.'

An hour and a half later, when Alex left the apartment envelope in hand, Eliza finally said what they were both thinking. "This won't end well, will it?"

"Oh God no. Someone's gonna get killed or maimed. Alex doesn't exactly wear kid-sized gloves," Maggie deadpanned. The two women laughed as for the first time in two weeks, they had hope that things could go back to normal.

* * *

Squinting slightly as the sun shined in her eyes, Alex (who was still sporting a killer hangover) hailed a cab and took it to Lena's building. She gave her name to the guard in the lobby and, to her pleasant surprise, she was allowed up. The guard gave her a small smile and a nod as she walked to the elevators. The long elevator ride up to Lena's penthouse gave Alex the time to steel herself and collect her thoughts as her hand gently patted her coat pocket, secure knowing that she hadn't forgotten the letter. Alex took a deep breath and brought her fist up to knock on the door. She hesitated for a moment, suddenly afraid that she was breaking some unspoken boundary, but knocked anyway. She was taken aback when the brunette at the door was decidedly _not_ the one she was expecting. "Alex?" Sam asked, the surprise evident in her voice. "Are you here to see Lena?"

"Yeah, I am," Alex said meekly. Sam swallowed and nodded. "Is everything okay, Sam?" Alex asked worriedly as she tried to get a glimpse into the apartment.

"I don't know," the taller woman as she stepped out into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind her. Sam crossed her arms before speaking again. "She doesn't talk, you know. She has barely said a word since Kara died. She just stares—and drinks. I honestly have no idea what to do. Lena's been there for me through so much, but I just don't know how to help her. I don't know if you'll be able to get through to her, Alex, but I really hope that you can." Sam's worried expression softened as she made eye contact with Alex and reached out to put a hand on Alex's leather-clad shoulder. "How are you doing, Alex?"

"I don't know. I haven't exactly been myself the last couple of weeks and this is the first day that I'm more or less thinking clearly. I think I'm okay. I don't—I'm not—I'm just not sure how I feel yet. I haven't really gotten used to the idea of Kara not being here anymore."

"I'm so sorry, Alex. For everything-including my role in this. I really wish it hadn't ended this way."

Alex smiled slightly and answered, "Thank you, Sam, but this isn't your fault. It was all Reign. You were as much a victim in this as Kara was."

"Maybe, but I got to live."

"True, but you still shouldn't blame yourself. She wouldn't want you to. Besides, I think there are enough people feeling guilty that we need at least one person still sane. God knows that I have enough to feel guilty about. I played too big a part in this not to."

"It's still not your fault, Alex."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I hope that one day I'll believe that. Maybe one day, enough people will have said that to me that I'll start to believe it too. Until then…" Alex shrugged as she trailed off. "Anyway, I don't want to saddle you with all my problems. You have enough to worry about as it is. Thank you, Sam. Really." Sam nodded and pulled Alex into a hug. They stayed like that for a moment before Alex pulled back and smiled before walking into Lena's apartment. Although Sam had told her what kind of state Lena was in, Alex wasn't fully prepared when she walked into see Lena's pale form sitting on the couch, hugging her knees, and simply staring. The young CEO barely even blinked when the door shut behind Alex and the agent made her presence known by clearing her throat. Alex secretly wondered if Lena was too far gone. If Lena was as lost to her as her sister was. If Lena was just as lost as she was.

Alex cleared her throat again, causing Lena to startle slightly as she slowly turned her head to look at the new presence in her apartment. "Hi Lena," Alex said awkwardly as she walked farther into the apartment and sat down on a plush leather chair across from the matching couch Lena was occupying. The young brunette's eyes tracked the agent's movements until Alex settled into the chair. "How are you doing, Lena?" Alex asked gently. The young woman stared before turning her head back toward the window and continuing to look out the window again.

"How do you think I'm going, Agent Danvers?" Lena mumbled. Lena's response was so cold that Alex could almost feel the temperature in the room drop.

"I—uh—I don't know, Lena. I assume you've been dealing just as well as I have. Sam told me that you've been drinking quite a bit."

"Perhaps I have. Not that it's any of your concern, Agent Danvers."

"Lena, you don't have to do that. You can still call me Alex, you know that."

"Oh, I'm well aware, _Alex_. I'm also well aware of the fact that you and I no longer have any connection or obligation to each other anymore. Our only connection was your sister and now she's dead. I'm not sure what you came here to do, but I would prefer that you do it elsewhere."

"I came to see _you_ , Lena. I know you've been struggling and I just want to help you. Despite what happened between you and Kara, I still consider you a friend, Lena." Lena scoffed at Alex's assertion.

"So did, Kara, and look at what happened. I'd like you to go now, Agent Danvers."

"No."

" _No?"_

"I'm not going to leave you alone, Lena. I just want to you help you, damnit. I don't want you to shut yourself off from the world, Lena—and neither would Kara."

"And how would you know what Kara would have wanted, Agent Danvers? Last time, I checked she was _dead._ What is it you want to talk about? About how she didn't trust me? About how she practically turned her back on me when I made the kryptonite? About how she was okay with _everyone else_ but _me_ having it? Or about how we had to listen to her die? How even after everything, she convinced herself that I was there with her?" Lena's voice rose with every sentence until she was almost shouting. She took a deep breath before quietly continuing, "How she said she _loved_ me? Yes, let's talk about that, shall we?"

"I know, Lena. I know it was painful and what Kara did was wrong, but I also know that she regretted it ever since. She missed you, Lena. Her life was empty without you."

"Well, that's the problem, isn't it?"

"What does it matter, Lena? I thought you hated her for lying to you, for turning on you? What changed?"

"I could never hate her, Alex. I was just hurt."

"It certainly didn't seem that way. What changed?"

Frustrated by Alex's increasingly invasive questions, Lena yelled out, "That's _none_ of your damn business, Alex."

"I just want to know what's going on with you, Lena. You won't even say her name, for fuck's sake! I want to know _why!_ "

"BECAUSE I LOVED HER, TOO! _Okay?_ I loved her and she loved me." Lena roared. Shocked, Alex leaned back in her chair and gaped at Lena.

"You what?"

"There! Now you know everything, Agent Danvers. I have nothing left to tell you now, Alex. Nothing left to explain why I feel all this guilt and anger and shame. I'm just so fucking done. I fell in love with my best friend who, of course, _had_ to be a Super and what did I get in return? Nothing—Nothing, but pain. And you want to know _why_ I can't say her name? Because—" Lena's voice wavered, "because if I say her name, then it all comes back and it all becomes _real_. Kara's dead, Alex. That self-sacrificing idiot died alone in a fucking desert for me and I don't know why she would do _that_." Alex got up and hugged the young brunette, as tightly as Kara used to hug them both and Lena started to cry. Soon Lena's tears subsided and she pulled back from the tight hug. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, Lena. You're allowed to have feelings too. You're allowed to be _sad_."

"I suppose you're right. Either way… thank you for that. Can I ask you a question?" Lena asked as she looked at Alex's pale face.

"Shoot," Alex said as she dropped back into her previous seat.

"Why are you here, Alex? I haven't seen you in two weeks and now you've taken it upon yourself to barge into my apartment and force me to talk about my feelings."

"Yeah—I'm sorry that I disappeared, Lena. I was sorta trying to drink myself to death. It didn't work… obviously." Lena was taken aback by Alex' candid admission. "I'm not all that great with emotions. Kara used to—Kara used to help me with them. Anyway, that doesn't answer your question. Kara left me a letter in my locker the day she died, I found it when I was preparing to go home after—well…after." Alex reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. It was blank save for Lena's name being written on the front in familiar, loopy handwriting. "She left one for you too," Alex continued as she extended her arm toward Lena. The young woman reached out with a quivering hand and took the envelope. Lena carefully untucked the flap and took out the 3 sheets of paper inside. She took a deep breath and began to read Kara's last message to her.

* * *

 _Dear Lena,_

 _If you're reading this letter, it that means I'm dead. In fact, by the time you see this, I'll probably be in Rao's light. I'm so sorry for leaving you. It's one of the many things I have to apologize for, but it's as good a place as any to start._

 _Chances are that I died fighting Reign and I hope that my life was enough of a price to pay to stop her plans. If I wasn't enough to stop her, if I couldn't stop her—if the prophecy failed to come true—I am so very sorry. My failure will be a burden I will carry into Rao's light with me. However, should I have been able to stop Reign, I am glad that I was able to give you one last gift: Sam's safety and freedom. I am so very grateful that you won't be alone in this world—that Sam is not amongst the things the world has taken from you. Not amongst the things_ I _have taken from you. You don't know how much I wish that I could be the one by your side, but I've always known that at some point, my lies would all catch up with me and that there would be a price to be paid._

 _I want you to know that none of this was your fault. The events that led to my death were set in motion millennia ago, in a time before either of our understanding. I'm just glad that I was able to at least do something to right some of my wrongs and to do one last good thing for you. Even if it weren't for this prophecy, know that I would gladly have laid down my life to keep you safe._

 _The most important thing I have to say is that I'm sorry. So, so sorry. I know that I may never be able to apologize enough, but I'd like to at least try._

 _I'm sorry for not telling you that I was Supergirl. It was unbelievably selfish of me and it hurt you, which is by far the worst part. It had nothing to do with you being a Luthor, but everything to do with me being a Danvers. My entire life on Earth I have been told that I had to blend in and not attract any attention. My grades couldn't be too high, my work couldn't be too good. I've spent the last 14 years hiding and you were the first person to pay attention to Kara Danvers and Kara Danvers alone. I'd never really had that before. Everyone in my life knew me as an alien and had all these expectations that came along with that. But you never expected anything from me and it was the first time in my life that I had ever had something like that. I was so happy to just be able to be myself around you that I put it off. Mostly out of fear, to be honest._

 _Despite my fear, there was never a moment in my life when I doubted whether I could trust you. One of the things I have been certain of since the day we met is that you, Lena Luthor, are one of the most trustworthy people on Earth. I trusted you from the moment we met and I know (and always have) that you are nothing like your brother. You managed to bring light to the darkness shrouding the Luthor name. But (in one of the worst decisions I have made), I waited to tell you and the longer I waited, the more afraid I became of what would happen when you finally learned the truth. I was going to tell you right before the Daxamites came, but then they invaded and Lillian told me that you would hate me if you ever found out. And I was so horrified by that fact, that I just kept putting it off to avoid the inevitable moment when you would start to hate me. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened and I only have myself to blame. There's this quote in one of my favorite movies (you know the one about that billionaire and the mob) that goes something like this:_

" _You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."_

 _I have lived long enough to become a hero to the city, but a villain to those closest to me. Somehow, in all my fear I became the villain in my own life, too. My terror at the idea of losing you made me do insane things, which while not an excuse… is also a little bit of an excuse. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I'm sorry for lashing out at you about the Kryptonite. I know you were only trying to help and would never use it to hurt me, but I just let my fear take over. The only thing that scares me more than the thought of losing you is Kryptonite, but that doesn't mean that I should have flipped out on you like that. It doesn't even begin to excuse my behavior, but just know that I_ never _stopped trusting you. Ever._

 _I know that our friendship is over and that the blame lies entirely in my decisions, but I want you to know that I will always be there for you. Even if all I can do is haunt a nasty investor. My life on Earth has been nothing short of extraordinary. I got to do all sorts of amazing things. I got to meet you and fall in love with you, which was the greatest privilege of all._

 _Lena, I want you to do two things for me. I know I'm in no place to make any requests, but consider this my final wish. I don't want you to grieve for me, Lena. I had a good life and I knew this end was coming for me. I don't want you to live your life with grief hanging over you, so please, don't mourn my death. Instead, celebrate the life I had the privilege to live and the things we did together. And now, I have one last request—one more thing that I very much hope you do. I want you to continue being the amazing person you are. The kind soul that you became in spite of all the tragedy in your life, in spite of all the pain (including that which I caused). Please never lose the amazing things that make you so incredible, Lena Luthor._

 _With all my love and a heavy heart,_

 _Kara Zor-El Danvers_

* * *

Lena's hands shook as she finished the letter. Tears cascaded down her face as she clenched her eyes shut, struggling to get her emotions under control. "Lena?" Alex asked cautiously. The youngest Luthor shook her head as she began to weep. Alex jumped up and rushed over to the couch as Lena clasped a hand to her mouth, desperately trying to contain her sobs.

"It takes a special kind of asshole to apologize, admit love, and tell you not to be sad about their death all in one letter."

"Kara, did it to you, too, huh?" Alex asked as Lena nodded again and snorted.

"God, this is so fucked up. I really want to be angry at her, but damn her, Kara's apology was a fucking good one."

"What did she say?"

"She explained herself and while, I'm still a little pissed at her, I'm less angry than I was. Admittedly, when I made that Kryptonite for Sam, I was so deadset on helping her that I didn't realize how it might make Kara feel when she found out that the woman she thought was her friend was making the one thing on Earth that could kill her. You and I both know that I would never have done anything to hurt Kara, but I really should have given her a head's up."

"Yes, you should have, but you were just trying to help your friend, Lena. Kara understood that and so do I. It was a mistake."

"A big one and look at what it cost me. It cost me almost everything."

"You still have Sam, Lena—and all of us. And, don't forget, without all that research of Kryptonite that you had already done, you would never have been able to use the Legion's schematics to make Black Kryptonite—not in time anyway. You saved us all, Lena. Don't forget that."

"Some hero I am. I saved the world and lost the girl. Ironic, isn't it?"

"Maybe, but what I can say is this—you really are a hero, Lena Luthor. No matter what you think."

"Alex, I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"What the fuck are we supposed to do now?"

" _Live_. We live and keep the world safe so that Kara's sacrifice wasn't for nothing."

* * *

Unfortunately for Alex and Lena, finding a way to move on with your life after such a significant loss was much easier said than done. In the days following their heart-to-heart, both women threw themselves into their work—perhaps a little too heavily. Lena chose to spend her days in her lab, trying to find some way to turn Kryptonite into something helpful, something worthy of the one whose life it took. Despite her best efforts, she was only successful in finding a way to make a lead vaccine for the Daxamites that had been forced off of Earth. If Lena wasn't working, she was secretly drowning in her grief, which usually led to Jess forcing her to eat or go home for some sleep. Lena's dreams were filled with images of Kara—images of Kara declaring her love, images of them having a happy future together, images of Kara being _alive_. Lena didn't sleep very much.

Alex coped by throwing herself into every mission she led. The older Danvers was driven by nothing more than a fierce need to make sure that the world stayed safe for aliens and humans alike. In true Alex Danvers style, this drive led to her acting increasingly recklessly and taking on missions that were always more dangerous than the last. J'onn tried everything he could to stop her from continuing her vaguely suicidal, one-man crusade but found that the harder he tried, the more useless his efforts became. So, he just let her continue as she wished while secretly keeping a very close eye on her.

Which is how Alex found herself face to face with a very large, very pissed K'hund in one of National City's many alleys. The two traded blows, but Alex was quickly overpowered by the angry alien when her assault rifle ran out of bullets. The brunette was entirely convinced that she would never see her beloved wife or family again when the brute lifted her by the neck and began to squeeze. Alex's vision slowly started to fill with growing black circles when a blue blur suddenly appeared and knocked the K'hund to the ground. As Alex struggled to get up, she heard the sounds of a struggle, quickly followed by the sound of a fist furiously hitting a face repeatedly. By the time, Alex stood up, the figure was long gone and an unconscious K'hund was the only evidence of its appearance. "The fuck?" Alex muttered as she cautiously approached her downed opponent.

An hour later, Alex and the K'hund were transported to DEO headquarters and the alien was processed and put into a cell. Alex stalked into the command center angrily and searched for J'onn. As soon as she laid eyes on him, she called out "What the hell, J'onn? I didn't need you to save my ass back there?"

"First of all, yes you did, Agent Danvers. Second, it wasn't me."

"The hell it wasn't! It couldn't have been Clark since he's at the Fortress this week and there are no other aliens that could have possibly taken on a K'hund, J'onn. It had to be you!"

"I assure you that it wasn't, Alex."

"Then who the hell was it?"

"It was me." Alex's brows furrowed and she whipped around to point her gun at the sudden intruder to find that there was no one behind her. All the agents in the command center quickly pulled out their guns and aimed them at the figure silently descending onto the DEO balcony.

"Who the hell are you?" Alex bellowed. The figure didn't answer and continued to silently approach the agents from the cover of darkness. "I asked you a question!" Alex shouted as she jabbed her gun in the direction of the approaching shape. The intruder didn't answer as she finally emerged from the shadows and stepped into the well-lit foyer of the DEO's headquarters. Alex's face dropped in shock as she realized who it was.

" _Kara?"_


	3. I'll Crawl Home To Her

"Who the hell are you?" Alex bellowed. The figure didn't answer and continued to silently approach the agents from the cover of darkness. "I asked you a question!" Alex shouted as she jabbed her gun in the direction of the approaching shape. The intruder didn't answer as she finally emerged from the shadows and stepped into the well-lit foyer of the DEO's headquarters. Alex's face dropped in shock as she realized who it was.

" _Kara?"_

* * *

 _One hour ago…_

The ground in Midvale cemetery quaked as something shifted in Kara Danvers' grave. Little grains of dirt shifted as the shaking grew stronger and suddenly, a pale hand shot up from the dirt… followed by another. The hands searched for purchase as a body pulled itself up from the ground. The blonde figure climbed out and dusted herself off as she got her bearings. Her senses and strength came flooding back as she realized where stood. With only a fleeting thought, the woman took off running and shot up into the sky, hellbent on getting to National City.

* * *

 _In the present…_

"Yes, Alex. It's me," the blonde said as she stood in the middle of the DEO's command center. "I thought you'd be _a little_ happier to see me since I'm, you know, not dead anymore," Kara commented. "Guess I was wrong," she said looking at the many guns pointed in her direction.

" _NO!_ " Alex roared as she pointed her gun at the blonde intruder. "That's _not_ possible," she shouted as she jabbed the gun in the other woman's direction. "Kara Danvers is _DEAD_! You're dead! I saw your body on a slab. I saw you in a pine box! _We buried you, Kara!_ We put you in the ground! And now what? You're back! Just like that?" Alex said as she snapped her fingers. "It's not possible. You bastard! How _dare_ you impersonate my dead fucking sister."

"Alex, I swear it's me! It's Kara. It's really me. My body's spent weeks trying to recover. You try having solar powered healing while buried in a box six feet under. It's really dark down there, you know. Speaking of that, listen, I kinda used up all my energy and I'm about to pass out, so would you mind if I just…" Kara trailed off as she collapsed. Alex froze for a moment as her jaw dropped, then she quickly ran over to her sister. Alex knelt beside Kara and checked her pulse as she gestured for someone to bring her a gurney. Satisfied that Kara was still alive, Alex stood up and began walking toward the sunroom. She turned the sunlamps on and handcuffed the unconscious blonde to the bed. Once she was sure that the blonde couldn't break out of her bonds even if she tried, Alex pulled up a chair, sat down, and waited. In the interest of preserving Lena's sanity, Alex chose not to call the young CEO until she was sure that the person lying in front of her really was Kara.

* * *

 _Two hours later…_

The blonde slowly opened her eyes and squinted as the harsh light blinded her. She tried to bring up a hand to cover them, but found that she couldn't. She tried to bring her arm up again and heard the characteristic jingling of handcuff chains. "Really Alex?" Kara mumbled. Her super-hearing picked up familiar footsteps approaching the sunroom and smiled as she heard Alex coming closer. The door whooshed open and the footsteps drew closer again.

"You're awake. How about that," Alex said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I am, and Alex, handcuffs? Really?" Kara asked she held up her wrist and shook it.

"Listen, blondie, I don't know who the fuck you are, but you're not my sister. She's dead, so let's cut the bullshit." Kara cringed internally at the tone of Alex's voice.

"Listen, Alex, I know that you don't believe it, but it's really me. It's _Kara_."

"Okay, fine. Let's pretend for a moment that I believe you. Tell me something that only Kara would know," Alex said as she pulled up a stool and dropped down onto it.

"Okay, fine," Kara said as she began to think. "Oh! Um, you love Eliza's lasagna more than anything."

"Everyone knows that. Try something else."

"Your favorite song in high school was 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' and sometimes when Maggie kisses you, you tear up a little."

Alex gasped and looked right at the blonde. "There's _no_ way you could know that unless—Kara! It really is you!"

"Yeah! That's what I've been trying to—" Kara was cut off by Alex throwing herself on the blonde. "It's nice to see you, too, Alex!"

"Of course, it's nice to see me! You would have seen me more recently if you hadn't gotten yourself killed you stupid, self-sacrificing alien!" Alex chastised as she buried her head further into Kara's shoulder. Kara gave the handcuffs a sharp yank and freed her hands so she could hug her sister.

"In my defense, I did think it was the _only_ way to beat her and _it was_! Oh, and just so you know, I could have gotten out of those handcuffs at any time, but I was kinda afraid that you'd get the Kryptonite ones."

"Kara! Don't ruin the moment," Alex grumbled. "And Kara, I do _not_ tear up when Maggie kisses me, thank you."

" _Alex_ ," Kara says knowingly.

"Okay fine. Maybe a little."

" _Alex._ "

" _Kara._ " Alex straightened up and walked over to the far wall of the sunroom and turned the red sunlamps off. Kara sat up and looked at her sister. "What happened to you Kara? How did you come back?"

Kara sighed. "When I died, I went into Rao's light and I met my parents. But they told me that it wasn't my time yet, that I still had a lot to do and live for. They told me that my reward for stopping Reign was to get to come back. I stayed with them as my body healed. It was really nice to see them again. But then they told me that you were in danger and before I knew it, I was in my coffin."

"This sounds like something out of Buffy, you do realize that, right?" Alex said with a laugh.

" _Alex!_ " Kara chastised. "I thought you'd take my coming-back-to-life moment a little more seriously!" she said with faux hurt.

"Yes, Kara, you're right. I'm sorry," Alex said, feeling bad for mocking Kara…. At least until she saw that Kara was smirking. " _KARA!_ "

"Sorry, Alex. But you should have seen the look on your face!"

Alex opened her mouth to fire back, but her phone started to ring. Holding up a finger, Alex slid her finger across the screen and answered. "Hey, Mom."

" _Alex, is everything okay in National City?"_

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

" _There was an earthquake in Midvale and I wanted to make sure you were okay."_ Alex looked at Kara in confusion and mouthed "Was that you?" When Kara nodded sheepishly, Alex sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Well, Mom, see what happened was that it wasn't exactly an earthquake."

" _Then what was it, Alexandra?"_

"Mom! _Please_ don't call me that. It makes me feel like I'm in trouble."

" _Alex!"_

"Sorry… Anyway, I can't exactly tell you what happened, BUT J'onn is gonna come get you so I can explain. Okay, Mom, see you soon. Bye!" Alex quickly said as she hung up. She turned on her heel and hollered "J'ONN!"

All she got in response was, _"Yes, Agent Danvers, I will do you this favor. You're welcome. And don't yell, please. This is a professional workplace."_

"So…" Alex began.

"Eliza's coming," Kara finished.

"Yeah, Mom's coming."

"She's gonna be happy."

"Yeaaahhh, and a little pissed."

"Not a little—a lot-tle."

"Oh yeah, 100%."

"Oh Rao…"

"Yep. I'm gonna go," Alex said as she pointed behind her and promptly left.

" _Alex!_ "

"Bye Kara!" rang out from the end of the hall. Kara sighed. _This day is about to get interesting_ she mused as she laid back on the gurney and waited.

* * *

 _40 Minutes Later…_

To say that Eliza was unhappy with Alex would be an understatement. She wasn't exactly fuming, but she wasn't exactly happy either. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt a pang of sadness at returning to the DEO after everything that had happened with Kara. Before J'onn had come to get her, Eliza had gone out to the cemetery and found that Kara's grave had been completely trashed and she was dreading adding more pain to the already heavy weight that rested on her only living daughter's shoulders. As she approached the med bay, Eliza was confused to hear laughter and hastened her pace to find the origin of the laugh—a laugh that sounded almost like Kara's. As she got to the doorway, she saw Alex throw her head back in laughter and she smiled softly to herself, happy that her daughter was finally recovering from her sister's death. Eliza couldn't spot the other figure in the room as she took a moment to watch Alex be so joyful. She would have looked harder but she was just so happy to see Alex finally start to recover. She was still caught up in her thoughts when Alex saw her and jumped up. The sudden noise snapped Eliza out of her trance and that was when she finally her. Her eyes moved past the shocked Alex and stopped on the equally stunned blonde figure-that looked quite a bit like her younger daughter. When she saw the blonde mouth her name, something clicked in Eliza's head and she burst into the room. "Can someone tell me what exactly is going on here?" The two younger women opened and closed their mouths as they searched for an answer.

Alex decided to just rip off the band-aid, blurted, "Hey Mom, long time no see. You, uh, might have noticed that Kara is back," as she gestured at Kara like Vanna White. When it looked like Eliza was about to start questioning the recently revived hero, Alex quickly added, "Yes, it's really her. I checked. I even did a DNA test."

Kara's head whipped in the direction of her sister. "You did what? When?"

"What?" Alex shrugged. "I had to be sure," Alex defended. Not needing any more confirmation, Eliza threw her arms around Kara and squeezed her tight.

"It's really good to have you back, Kara. This also explains a lot."

"So, you're not mad?" Alex asked carefully.

"Oh, I am, but I get why you didn't tell me. The earthquake and Kara's grave being destroyed definitely makes more sense now."

"Hang on…" Alex muttered. "Mom, why aren't you more shocked?"

"Sweetie, I have built my entire career on the impossible. Aliens were never supposed to come to Earth, but they did. There was never supposed to be a Superman or another survivor from Krypton, but there was. Crazier things have happened. I held out hope that one day something like this would happen. I remember reading a similar legend in some of the literature Clark showed me at the Fortress. I thought it was a myth, an impossibility."

"So, this is an extreme version of 'seeing is believing'?" Kara wondered.

"Basically," Eliza laughed. "Oh Kara, I am so happy that you're alive," the older woman declared as she moved to hug Kara again. She squeezed the alien as tightly as she could as some tears rolled down her face. Kara gently tightened her grip. "Are you okay?" Eliza whispered into Kara's ear. A small, unconvincing nod was her only answer. "Alexandra, do you have a plan on how to tell everyone about Kara coming back?"

"Uh…"

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Eliza pulled back and tugged herself out of Kara's grip. "That's okay. We'll figure it out together."

"Together," Alex and Kara echoed.

And so, the newly reunited Danvers family set out to plan how to tell their friends and family about Kara's return. Alex called Maggie first, who rushed over to the DEO and tackled Kara into a hug as she tearfully exclaimed "Little Danvers! You're alive!" After a very long hug, Maggie finally released Kara from her grasp and swiftly brought all of the Danvers into one massive group hug. More tears were shed and unlike the last time the Danvers cried together, the tears were full of joy, happy at the idea that the massive gap in their lives was filled once more by the very person whose loss had left that irreparable sense of emptiness. Once the hugging (and crying) was over, the four women pulled apart and took a deep breath, finally feeling the emotional toll of the past month lessen.

"We need to call, Lena," Alex announced out of the blue. "She can't be the last one to find out. It'll hurt her even more." Kara nodded along, suddenly looking extremely anxious.

Sensing the awkwardness, Maggie pointed behind herself, muttered "I'll just go call everyone else then," turned on her heel, and left, tugging Eliza with her.

"Hey, Alex-," Kara trailed off. "What happened after I died? With Lena, I mean."

"She didn't take it well. At all. I spent the first two weeks trying to drink myself into forgetting, but I think Lena was genuinely trying to drink herself to death. When I finally sobered up enough to function a little, I went to visit her—and to bring her your letter. Remembering what you wrote to me helped me a little, I guess. But when I went to Lena's, she was practically catatonic. Sam said Lena basically spent all her waking moments staring out the window and drinking. She didn't even speak to anyone until I came over and she kinda yelled at me. A lot. She wouldn't even say your name. It was bad." For just a split second, as she paused to consider what she would say next, the memory of Lena's anguished tirade invaded Alex's senses.

" _There! Now you know everything, Agent Danvers. I have nothing left to tell you now, Alex. Nothing left to explain why I feel all this guilt and anger and shame. I'm just so fucking done. I fell in love with my best friend who, of course,_ had _to be a Super and what did I get in return? Nothing—Nothing, but pain. And you want to know_ why _I can't say her name? Because—because if I say her name, then it all comes back and it all becomes_ real _. Kara's dead, Alex. That self-sacrificing idiot died alone in a fucking desert for me and I don't know why she would do_ that _."_

Alex flinched as the memory of Lena's pained outburst faded away and quickly continued her thought. "But, uh, reading your letter helped a little. She showed me what you wrote. It was beautiful… you really love her, huh?" Kara nodded shyly. "How did I not see my sister fall in love?" Alex wondered.

"Anyway, we kinda bonded, I guess would be the word for it. She basically moved into the L Corp labs. She's been trying to make Kryptonite into something helpful, something worthy of your memory, as she put it. She actually managed to create an early version of the lead vaccine for the Daxamites. But Jess has to force her to sleep and eat these days. She's become so focused that she forgot everything else. It's actually been two weeks since I've even seen her. She disappeared into the marble halls of the L Corp labs a few days after I gave her the letter," Alex said dramatically with a flourish. Satisfied that she had told Kara enough information, Alex also left the room, leaving Kara alone as she called Lena to ask for her presence at the DEO.

"Hey, Lena. It's Alex, can you come to the DEO?"

" _Agent Danvers, you do realize that I have caller ID, right?"_

"Yeah, I know. Also, I thought you were calling me Alex now," Alex said, pretending to be hurt.

" _I am, but sometimes even I joke. Anyway, what is so important that the DEO needs me at 11 pm?"_

"It's something really urgent, but I can't tell you over the phone. Please Lena, can you just come?"

" _Fine, Alex, but only because you said please."_ Before Alex could say another word, Lena hung up. Now all they could do was wait. As the agent leaned against the wall in the breakroom, Maggie walked in and quietly snaked her arms around her wife's waist. Smiling softly, Alex returned the hug and buried her face in her wife's brunette hair.

"It's all gonna be okay now, right?" Alex asked softly.

"Yeah, babe, I think it is. Kara's back and everyone's feeling better. The rest is just confetti, Alex. Together we'll figure things out and it will all be okay."

"Promise?" Alex sniffled.

"I promise," Maggie replied as she gently rubbed Alex's back. "Hey Alex, I have an idea. Something to make things a little fun again," Maggie suggested.

"What?" Alex asked suspiciously as she narrowed her eyes.

"Let's make a bet."

"What do you have in mind, wifey?"

"You know I hate it when you call me that."

Lena Luthor was glad that she had taken mercy on her liver today and only had two glasses of scotch that night as she warily strode into the DEO some 35 minutes after Alex's call. She wrapped her coat around herself tightly as she entered the sterile-looking building and rode the elevator up. She sighed as she walked through the command center toward Alex's office, head down, eyes to the ground. She almost ran right into Alex who was waiting for her by the med bay. "Hey Lena, how are you?" she asked in an unusually cheerful voice.

"Fine. What's the emergency, Alex?"

"Uh, it's actually better if I show you cuz you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Alex gestured for Lena to follow her. Lena walked into the med bay and froze when she was met with the sight of the back of a blonde figure. The other woman slowly turned around and her anxious expression momentarily brightened when she laid eyes on Lena. With an angry growl, Lena marched up to the blonde and slapped her.

"You fucking idiot!" Lena shouted as Kara brought a hand up to rub her cheek. Despite her alien physiology, the slap actually smarted a little given her somewhat weakened state.

"Lena, I am _so_ sorry," Kara began as Lena brought up a hand to stop the blonde.

Tears streaked down Lena's face as she spoke, "You don't get to talk, Kara. I get to talk now." Kara nodded jerkily. "First of all, how did this happen? I fucking heard you die. I saw your _body_ , your _corpse_ and yet here you are, talking to me, very much alive."

"The prophecy that foretold the battle also said that I would get a gift from Rao for laying down my life to stop Reign. I thought that it meant that I would get see my parents again, but I guess it also meant that I would come back."

"You self-sacrificing _moron_."

"Lena, I couldn't let her win! I had to beat her, even if it meant I would die. She threatened my family, Lena! She threatened you! I had already screwed up so much in your life—I failed you on so many different levels that I didn't want you to die because of my failures, too. I was supposed to be your friend, Lena and instead, I let my fear guide me. And I broke my promise to you."

"What promise?"

"I promised I would never leave you and I did. I'm so sorry, Lena. I'm so sorry for a lot of things, Lena. I'm sorry I was such an asshole and I'm sorry I never told you that I was Supergirl."

"I know you're sorry, Kara. You told me that a lot—when you were dying and in your letter."

"You heard that?"

"Yes, I did. You had the one-way comms on, remember?"

"You were there? I don't remember seeing you at the DEO."

"I was there—I just stood behind James and another agent so you wouldn't see me. I hid."

"I saw you that night, you know. When I was in that desert, bleeding out, all I wanted was to not be alone and then I saw you-and suddenly I was less afraid because _you_ were there, Lena. You hated me so much and yet all I wanted was to see you one more time."

"Oh Kara," Lena said, her voice thick with tears.

"I wasn't alone and when I was laying there in that sand, it was all that mattered," Kara said as she too began to cry. "I'm really sorry, Lena."

"For what, Kara?"

"For everything, for being an ass, for not trusting you, for lying to you. I was just so afraid and freaked out."

"Kara, I'm sorry too. Fear is the relinquishment of logic, the willing relinquishing of reasonable patterns. I was so afraid of losing my friend that I lost all my logic and reasoning—and I still ended up losing a friend. I was so single-mindedly fixated on saving Sam that I didn't think about how you would feel about your best friend producing the one thing on Earth that can kill you. I never should have kept the Kryptonite a secret, I know that. I should have been more understanding and I shouldn't have turned my back on you. You don't owe me your secret. I understand why you didn't tell me. I'll admit I was hurt—and I still am, a little—but I was wrong. Can you forgive me?"

"Forgive you? I'm the one who should be asking that. Can you please forgive me for being an ass, Lena?"

"Yes, of course, Kara. You're my best friend and I love you. So much."

"I love you too, Lena."

"No, I mean I'm in love with you, too."

"You are?"

"Of course, I am. How could I not? You're a wonderful person, Kara Danvers. Even though you're the special kind of jerk who apologizes, admits they love you, and tell you not to be sad about their death all in the same letter."

"Sorry," Kara said sheepishly. "Lena, can I kiss you?" Kara asked boldly. Lena nodded and Kara gently put her hand on Lena's cheek, stroking it with her thumb, before kissing the brunette passionately.

Outside the room, as Kara and Lena kissed, Maggie silently handed Alex a $20 bill. "See I told you they'd suck face today. Though I really wish I didn't have to see it," Alex grumbled as she dramatically covered her eyes with her hand. Maggie simply laughed in response.

As the two women parted, Kara smiled and gently leaned her forehead against Lena's. "We still have a lot to talk about, Kara."

"I know."

"But do you think we could just stay like this for a moment?" Kara nodded wordlessly and gently placed a chaste kiss on Lena's lips.

"Lena, what does this mean for us?" Kara asked after several minutes of silence. "Are we dating now?"

"Not quite, but I'd love for you to have dinner with me on Friday."

"As a date?"

"Yes, as a date," Lena laughed out.

As Kara and Lena enjoyed their bliss, the rest of the Superfriends arrived at the DEO. The duo walked into the DEO's command center and were greeted by several whoops and a very big group hug. Kara offered to tell them what had happened, but they declined an explanation, saying that all that mattered was that Kara was alive and with her family again. They were also overjoyed to find out that Kara and Lena were finally together. Alex and Lucy happily collected prize money from James, Winn, and Eliza. J'onn and Sam had been smart enough to stay out of the bet and were $100 richer as a result. However, the two giddy DEO agents glowed in their triumph and soon disappeared to the closest 24-hour Chinese restaurant and corner bakery and returned with enough pot stickers and donuts to feed 10 Karas. Needless to say, the joy surrounding Kara's return from the dead was intense as even the on-duty DEO agents also joined in the revelry. They all gathered around the conference room table as Vasquez treated them all to the story Alex's misadventures wrestling a Tamaran, who got a little _too_ excited by the prospect of unlimited pizza at an eating contest. Alex scowled as Vasquez passed around a photo of her covered in tomato sauce and cheese.

As the celebration wound down, a more somber mood descended upon the group as they realized that now they had to find a way to bring Kara back to life. "How are going to explain all this?" Alex wondered out loud as she picked at the food in front of her.

"I actually have a plan for that," Lucy interjected.

"You do?" Everyone asked, surprised.

"Of course, I do. Why is everyone always so shocked when I say that? Come on, guys, the DEO has contingency plans for everything, I even wrote a few."

"How come I didn't know about this?" Alex asked angrily.

"Because you didn't need to. I only know because some of them required a legal expert, which just so happened to be me."

"So what's the plan, Lucy?" Kara chimed in.

"Well, basically we're gonna pretend that Kara Danvers never died. Supergirl will actually be the one coming back from the dead. Can't have it so that both of you died at the same time and came back at the exact same time. That'd be too weird and a little too coincidental."

"How is this going to work exactly?" J'onn questioned.

"The 'FBI' will call a press conference and I'll take care of the rest. Just give me a day. I need a little help from Cat," Lucy said as she stood from the table.

* * *

 _Two days later…_

Lucy and Cat Grant stand at a podium flanked by several DEO agents in suits as they prepare to make an announcement. A moment passes and Lucy begins to speak, "As all of you can remember, about a month ago, Reign rampaged through the city and Supergirl gave her life to stop her. Many other lives were lost, including up-and-coming journalist Kara Danvers. However, I am here to tell you that Kara Danvers did not actually perish in the ensuing chaos. Because Ms. Danvers was covertly helping the FBI gather information on the invader's weaknesses, we had cause to believe that her life was in danger, especially after the citywide threat that Reign had made. So, in order to keep her out of harm's way, we teamed up with the White House, whose efforts were spearheaded by Press Secretary Cat Grant, close friend and former mentor to Ms. Danvers. She was placed in the Witness Protection program until we were sure that Reign was dead and that no more allies would come to assist her. We are satisfied that the risk of any more Worldkillers coming to Earth is currently zero given the timeframe that has passed. Any further questions can be directed to Ms. Grant, myself, or Special Agent Hank Henshaw, who spearheaded the FBI's efforts to put an end to the Worldkillers. Thank you." With an air of finality, everyone walked off the stage and piled into black SUVs, which headed for the DEO. As soon as they entered the facility, they were met with an anxious Kara, Lena, and Alex.

"Did it work? Can I go back?" Kara asked anxiously.

"I think so. We gave a plausible enough story, so you should be good. Supergirl can make her return in a few days, so no one is too suspicious." Kara opened her mouth to protest, but Lucy held up a hand to stop her. "Kara, I know you're anxious to go back to the way things were, but you have to wait. We were fine before Supergirl and we survived after you died. The city will be fine for a few more days." Kara quietly grumbled in disagreement but brightened when Lena hugged her. "Listen, I have to get back to the desert facility. Take a few days before you throw yourself back into the real world, will ya?" Kara nodded and pulled Lucy into a hug. The major laughed and hugged the Kryptonian back.

As the crowd began to disperse, Kara and Lena saw Sam standing awkwardly in the corner of the command center. Lena gently shoved the blonde toward her friend and said, "Go on, talk to her. I know you guys have some stuff to discuss."

Kara awkwardly walked up to Sam and smiled a classic Sunny Danvers smile. "Hey, Sam."

"Kara! How are you doing?"

"Good. Really. It's so nice to be alive again." A guilty look flashed across Sam's face and Kara rushed to apologize.

"No, no, please don't. This is all my fault anyway."

"But it's not. Reign wasn't you and you weren't Reign. She was genetically engineered to bring chaos. The fact that you managed to contain her for 30 years is a miracle. You were never supposed to be able to do that. You kept things from getting even worse. You had nothing to do with what she did and you have nothing to apologize for."

"But—"

"But nothing. You were a victim too. An unwilling participant. She was the one who drove the knife into my chest. She was the one who did all those terrible things. It was all her."

"You know, your sister said the exact same thing," Sam said tearfully.

" _Good_. You should listen to Alex, she's like _really_ wise. It's probably a big sister thing or something. Now give me a hug."

"A hug?"

"Yeah! They make everything better Sam. You should know this about me by now. After all, your alter ego killed me. We're practically family now," Kara said as she gestured for Sam to hug her.

"Kara!" Sam groaned.

"Too soon?"

"Way too soon."

"Sorry," Kara said sheepishly as Lena suddenly strode over and joined the hug.

* * *

Supergirl made a triumphant return the day after Kara and Lena had their first real date. Kara had wanted to come back sooner, but the thought of their first date being interrupted by an emergency made Kara determined to give her new girlfriend one normal date before the craziness began again. Going back to her roots, Supergirl interrupted a robbery at National City First Bank, shocking the robbers so badly that they froze completely. She casually picked them up by the backs of their jackets and deposited them right in front of the waiting NCPD officers waiting outside. The crowd outside gasped as they saw Supergirl standing there in all her might, the House of El sigil proudly displayed on her chest once more. She smiled at the crowd and took off to help with a forest fire raging 20 miles north of the city and returned in time to have a nice dinner with Lena at her penthouse. The two women reveled in their new relationship and enjoyed a quiet evening on the couch as they watched the news blow up over Supergirl's return. The next day, a statement was issued explaining that she had returned from the dead due to a currently not understood Kryptonian phenomenon.

With Kara back, many Superfriends and Danvers family traditions returned. Game Night was one of the first to return. Kara and Lena swept the entire evening. Everyone was content to let them win, glad to see their family back together once more. Sister Night became Family Night as Kara and Alex were joined by their significant others for an evening of movies and junk food. Kara returned to work about a week after coming back and to her great surprise, Snapper Carr greeted her with a smile and an assignment for her, a good one. He even began calling her by her actual name. Kara was so stunned at first that she didn't respond until he had screamed her name at the top of his lungs. And as things finally started getting back to normal, Kara began to truly recover from everything she'd been through. Being with Lena was probably the best thing that resulted from the fallout from her death. The two women were incredibly happy together and reveled in the joy of their newfound relationship.

Lena proposed to Kara 9 months later. Kara responded by pulling out her own ring and bracelet, which she had planned on giving Lena after dinner that night. They got married 6 months later. Their wedding rivaled Alex and Maggie's for the biggest, gayest wedding that National City had ever seen.

 _And so, all was well._

* * *

And so our saga ends... Thank you for staying through the end of this story and please let me know what you think!


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